The Letter
by Scarlet has Fantasy Issues
Summary: first ever fanfic for Soul Calibur 3, so be nice. Summaries won't do it justice, so if you're curious about a love story with Siegfried, take a peek inside. Siegfried/OC


**A/N: This is my first attempt at a Soul Calibur story on , so please be nice to me about it. And please note that the female character in here is not Cassandra Alexandra from the game. It's someone completely different and completely made up. That is all, please carry on.**

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She could hear the soft crackling of the fire as she lay there, drifting in and out of sleep. Something didn't feel right. Her comrade was being far too quiet tonight, not tossing and turning like he usually did. She had never known him to have a peaceful night's sleep.

_He must still be awake_, she thought, tempted to open her eyes for just one moment. _He's been awake for three days…if he keeps this up the next surprise attack on us will be the end of him…_

Their lives always seemed to be in danger. She had been involved with the evil of the world long before she had matured, losing her parents to the Azure Knight and Soul Edge, the sword who had claimed the soul of her brother and parents. She had yet to find her sister after the Azure Knight's last attack on her adopted family sent her on a suicide mission to save her people's lives. Siegfried had been there to save the day, but how he had appeared without detection, she was still unsure of because that night was hazy.

She knew she owed everything to Siegfried. He'd helped her through her moments of pure weakness when the Azure Knight's curse left her paralyzed with fear and the hallucinations bothered her. He had saved her from countless enemies, who would have anyone tied so closely to the cursed sword dead.

And yet, part of her knew that they were even. Just as many times as he had saved her, she had saved him. He couldn't see everywhere and her raven Watchers offered her help during battle. She had eyes everywhere and knew of an enemy before Siegfried could tell that evil was approaching. He needed her on his side as much as she needed him, if not more.

But there was still something inside of her that told her that he was part of the reason that she had lost her entire family. Something that told her that his past was so closely tied to hers that the blame for everything wrong that had happened in her life because of the cursed sword and Nightmare, had been his fault. She already knew that he had been a part of Nightmare in the past, but she had yet to figure out how long that had lasted or who had helped eradicate the demon from his body. He refused to tell her anything useful and that left her feeling irritated at times because she felt she couldn't help him if he did not tell her what she needed to know.

Siegfried's quiet curse broke the silence of the camp. The sound of fluttering wings roused her from her slumber, but she didn't open her eyes. She didn't move a muscle to indicate that she was awake and Siegfried was silent as if to make sure she was still asleep.

_Siegfried what are you doing? _

She heard him moving his things around. A glance through lashes told her that he was packing up his things. He cast a glance over his shoulder every now and then to make sure that she was still asleep and she gave him no indication that she was awake. She wanted to see what he was doing before she got up and demanded an explanation.

Siegfried stood up, his armor clinking a little as he made his way over to her side of the camp. Her Watchers cawed quietly, warning him not to do anything that he'd soon regret. Siegfried paid them no attention and placed something next to her makeshift pillow.

It took an extreme amount of effort for her not to move when he gently caressed her face with one of his large gloved hands. His face looked so sad and she could see the pain in his eyes.

_What are you doing? Are you…?_

Siegfried stood up once more, looking down at her. "Goodbye Cassandra," he whispered, walking away.

Cassandra waited for a moment before opening her eyes. She looked out at the darkness surrounding camp and issued a small birdlike cry that sent some of her Watchers flying. If Siegfried heard, she knew that he'd think it was just one of the Watchers calling out. She brushed her dark hair out of her face and looked down at her makeshift pillow.

A piece of folded paper lay there, faded with age. Cassandra grabbed it and unfolding it, finding a letter scrawled there in Siegfried's fast handwriting. It was sloppy with speed and faint with age, telling her that he had held the same letter back for awhile.

_Cassandra Christi, we've been through a lot of trials together. We've faced some hardships that I wish that you never had to experience in your young age. I thought you'd have given up our friendship by now, knowing that it has caused many more people to add you to their enemy list. I wish that I had not allowed that to happen, that I had been strong enough to tell you 'no' when you volunteered to join me in my quest against the cursed sword. Every close call has been one too many and I should have never let you be placed in such situations…this is my fault and I am sorry…_

_This should have been done long before you decided to become friends with me. I am the reason there is a Nightmare in the world. I did horrible, unspeakable things when I was under the influence of Nightmare, unable to rid him from my body. I have struggled ever since I was freed to fight back the memories and the curse of his time in me has steadily grown stronger, haunting me constantly. Every moment you spent with me, I could not escape the memories of what I did to you without knowing and the pain that I'd cause you in the future._

_I find that I…have developed feelings for you. You have somehow managed to worm your way past my defenses and all reason in my body. Everything that stands between you and me, you seem to have broken past. I cannot imagine moving through life without you, after so much time with you and these thoughts of what you would feel like if I let myself have the pleasure of making you aware of my true feelings…_

_But Cassandra, I cannot allow this to happen. I am a danger to you. As much as I detest the idea of leaving you unprotected with monsters like Nightmare and Zasalamel still roaming the world, I must. You are safer if I am not found with you and there will be no one to keep you from running to safety without the fear of leaving someone else to die as you have done with me so many times before. _

_If something were to happen to you because of me, I would not last long on this Earth. I'd find some way to make sure of that despite the efforts you have made to ensure that I will not die. I could not live knowing that you died for me. I cannot be without you in this world, but as long as I know you live…that is enough for me._

_Please do not follow me. You have followed me before and I have allowed it with your persuasive arguments because I was not ready to be away from you. But now…I know that I must severe our ties and depart from your life forever…Please do not be angry with me for this is for your own good. Be safe and find happiness in another man's arms, for he will protect you better than I._

_With love and a heavy heart, I leave you. _

Cassandra's eyes grew wet as she looked at the faded words. Her hands shook as she folded it up and shoved it in her bag. In a flash, she gathered up her things and threw them to the large ravens which caught them. She issued out another cry and ravens replied, sending her directions.

Cassandra ran through the woods, relying on the moon peeking through the trees and the directions of the ravens to guide her to Siegfried. She couldn't let him get away, but he already had put so much distance between them. Cassandra needed to see him, to bring him back because she couldn't let him get away with simply a letter as a parting gift. He needed to talk to her, to explain to her why he revealed so much if he was going to leave her like this.

The ravens called out again minutes and Cassandra could hear the footsteps of someone ahead. She saw the gleam of armor and pushed herself to move farther, to move faster despite the burning in her lungs. She had to get to him before he got away.

"Siegfried, wait!" she ordered, coming to a stop once she reached another clearing.

Siegfried paused, but did not turn around. "You shouldn't have followed me, Cassandra."

"I had to," Cassandra replied, staring at his back. "I read your letter…"

"Then you know why you must let me leave and do not follow. I am protecting you."

"But you're denying yourself the desires of your heart. How can you ever find peace and happiness if you do not let yourself find it?"

"Perhaps I do not deserve happiness or peace. Not after all that I have done…Besides, after what you know, how could you ever return my feelings? You do not love me for I am the shell of a monster. The monster that was the end of your parents and brother, the monster that tore you away from your sister…Please just let me walk out of your life now, Cassandra."

"Siegfried, you never gave me a chance! How do you know that I don't love you?" Cassandra shook her head and took a step forward. "The opposite of what you say is true. I do care for you…Why else would I have followed you, instead of letting you walk out of my life like you want? I can't let myself deny my heart what it wants. I can't let you deny yourself either."

Cassandra crossed the distance between them and walked around him so that they were face to face. Siegfried refused to look at her. Cassandra frowned, pulling off one of her black gloves. With a hesitant hand, she reached out and touched his face as he had hers minutes before. His eyes closed for a moment and then locked on hers.

"Siegfried, do not deny your heart. It will not steer you wrong," Cassandra whispered.

Siegfried held her gaze for a moment, raising a shaking hand. Cassandra felt him brush his knuckles against her cheek, moving her hair away from her face. His hand cupped her neck and he lowered his lips to hers. Her eyes fluttered shut as he deepened the kiss, pulling her to him as if she would flee in a moment's notice.

When he pulled his lips back to allow them both room to breathe, Cassandra touched his arm and kept her eyes closed. He sighed and brought his lips to her forehead.

"I…can't…" he whispered, his hand sliding away from her. "Goodbye Cassandra…"

Cassandra's eyes snapped open and she found herself staring up at the clear night sky. She rolled over quickly and saw that Siegfried was not there. He had not been with her for many days, but she was hot on his trail and she was going to make him see that he deserved happiness and that she loved him with every fiber of her being.

_Siegfried…I love you and I will find you. Just you wait._

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**A/N: So, if you don't like the ending to this one-shot, I'm very sorry because I don't feel like changing it. I know I'm going to receive some hate mail from all of this (or complete nothingness) and so I'm asking that you keep your reviews clean. Thanks for taking ten minutes out of your life to read this and review it. ~Scarlet**


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